Things to Do
Beaches near the North York Moors
The moors run out at the cliff edge, and below them sits some of the best beach country in England. Sand at Sandsend and Saltburn, a sheltered cove at Runswick Bay, rock pools and ammonites at Robin Hood's Bay, and the full seaside works at Whitby. Here is what each one is actually like, with parking, facilities, tides and the seasonal dog rules.
- Check the tide, Whitby tide times cover this whole stretch closely enough for planning.
- Dogs: seasonal control in parts of Scarborough, Filey and Whitby runs 1 May to 30 September.
- Park early, clifftop and seafront car parks are full by mid-morning in the school holidays.
- No lifeguards on most of this coast outside peak weeks; avoid harbour mouths.
- Winter is fossil season, storms refresh the scree at the Bay and Runswick.
The beaches, one by one
Sandsend
The best all-round sandy beach on this stretch
Two miles of clean, wide sand running north from Whitby to the little village where East Row Beck meets the sea. The cliffs of Sandsend Ness rise behind, there are cafes at the village end, and at low water you can walk the whole way into Whitby on the sand. One of the great short walks of the Yorkshire coast.
- Parking:
- Pay-and-display along the seafront road, plus a car park at the Whitby end by the old railway bridge. Both full by mid-morning on summer weekends.
- Facilities:
- Cafes and a beach kiosk at the village end, toilets, and the Cinder Track path behind the beach for buggies and bikes.
- Dogs:
- A long-standing dog-walking favourite and much freer than the town beaches, but parts of this coast fall under seasonal dog control from 1 May to 30 September. Check the council map.
- Tide:
- Critical. The Whitby walk is a low-tide route only; the sand narrows to nothing under the Ness at high water.
Runswick Bay
The prettiest cove, and the most sheltered
A perfect crescent of sand beneath a huddle of red-roofed cottages, sheltered from the north by the headland at Kettleness. Calm enough for paddling and kayaks, good for rock pooling at the edges, and one of the best fossil beaches on the coast after a winter storm.
- Parking:
- Clifftop pay-and-display at the top of the bank, then a very steep walk or drive down. The bottom village has almost no visitor parking.
- Facilities:
- Beach cafe and toilets at the bottom, pub in the village. Limited out of season.
- Dogs:
- Popular with dog walkers year-round; check current seasonal restrictions before travelling in high summer.
- Tide:
- Rising tides cut off the sand towards Kettleness. Do not walk that way without checking a tide table.
Whitby
Classic seaside with everything on the doorstep
West Cliff beach runs north from the pier below the beach huts and the whalebones, proper sand, donkeys in season, and the abbey watching from the far headland. It is the busiest beach on this coast in August and the easiest for families who want facilities within a hundred yards.
- Parking:
- Whitby is hard work by car in summer. Use the Park & Ride from the A171, or the West Cliff and Marina car parks early.
- Facilities:
- Everything, toilets, cafes, arcades, beach huts, ice cream and the town two minutes behind.
- Dogs:
- Seasonal dog control applies in parts of Whitby from 1 May to 30 September. Out of season the beach is a superb dog walk.
- Tide:
- Sand disappears against the sea wall at high water. Keep clear of the harbour entrance and the piers in any swell.
Robin Hood's Bay
Rock pools, fossils and atmosphere rather than sunbathing
The bay is a wave-cut scaur, great flat shelves of rock in concentric arcs, with sand in patches. It is the finest rock-pooling beach in Yorkshire and one of the best places on the Dinosaur Coast to find ammonites among the loose scree, but it is not a beach-towel beach.
- Parking:
- Top-of-village car park only; the descent to the slipway is steep and cobbled, with no parking at the bottom.
- Facilities:
- Pubs, cafes and toilets in the lower village, all up the hill from the sand.
- Dogs:
- Generally dog friendly, though the cobbled bank and the slippery scaur are hard going for small or elderly dogs.
- Tide:
- The most serious tide on this list. The scaur floods fast and walkers are cut off here every year, go on a falling tide and never round the headland.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Surfing, the pier and the water-balanced cliff lift
The northern end of the coast and the most reliable surf beach in the region, with a surf school, a Victorian pier and the oldest working water-balanced cliff lift in Britain carrying you between town and sand. Wide, flat and easy underfoot. The best beach here for a long barefoot walk.
- Parking:
- Seafront pay-and-display below the cliff, plus parking in the town above; the lift or the zig-zag path links the two.
- Facilities:
- Surf hire and lessons, cafes and a chip shop on the front, toilets, and the pier.
- Dogs:
- Saltburn is in Redcar and Cleveland, which runs its own seasonal beach dog restrictions on part of the sands. Check that council's map rather than the North Yorkshire one.
- Tide:
- Straightforward compared with the villages south, but the sand narrows towards Huntcliff at high water.
Dogs on the beach: the rules, plainly
North Yorkshire Council operates a dog control Public Space Protection Order covering parts of Scarborough, Filey and Whitby between 1 May and 30 September. Inside those marked areas dogs are excluded or must be kept on a lead; outside them, and outside those dates, the beaches are open to dogs. The boundaries are specific stretches rather than whole towns, and they are reviewed periodically, so check the council's current dog control map for the Scarborough, Filey and Whitby area before you travel. Saltburn sits in Redcar and Cleveland and has its own separate seasonal restrictions.
In practice, most dog owners head for Sandsend, Runswick Bay or the wide sands north of Saltburn in high summer, and enjoy the town beaches from October to April. For pubs, cottages and walks that welcome dogs, see the dog-friendly guide to the moors and dog-friendly places to stay.
Tides, safety and fossils
This is a tidal coast with cliffs at its back, which is a different proposition from a resort beach. The scaur at Robin Hood's Bay and the sands under Sandsend Ness both cut off on a rising tide, and the cliffs themselves shed rock without warning after rain, stay off the base of an actively slipping cliff and take fossils from the loose scree on the beach instead of hammering the face. Our fossil hunting guide covers where and how to look, and moorland safety applies to the clifftop paths above.
Making a day of it
The beaches string together neatly along the coast road. Saltburn and Runswick Bay make a northern pair; Sandsend and Whitby are a single low-tide walk apart; Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar sit south towards Scarborough on the Cleveland Way and the Cinder Track. Build your own route with Plan My Day, check conditions on the moors weather page, and read the coast guide for the towns and villages behind the sand.
Beach FAQs
- Which is the best beach near the North York Moors?
- Sandsend for a long, clean sweep of sand with parking on the front and cafes at both ends; Runswick Bay for the prettiest sheltered cove; Whitby for the classic seaside beach with facilities; Robin Hood's Bay for rock pools and fossils rather than sunbathing; and Saltburn for surfing and the pier.
- Are dogs allowed on the beaches near Whitby?
- Seasonal dog control applies in parts of Scarborough, Filey and Whitby between 1 May and 30 September under North Yorkshire Council's Public Space Protection Order, so the main town beaches have restrictions in summer. Outside those dates and those marked stretches dogs are generally fine. Always check the council's current dog control map before you travel, as boundaries and dates are reviewed.
- Can you take dogs on Sandsend and Runswick Bay beaches?
- Both are popular dog-walking beaches and far less restricted than the town beaches, but sections can fall within seasonal dog control areas. Check the council's dog control map for the current boundaries, and note that the walk between Sandsend and Whitby along the sand is only possible around low tide.
- Do I need to check the tide before going to the beach here?
- Yes, and it matters more here than on most English coasts. The sands at Sandsend, Whitby, Runswick Bay and Robin Hood's Bay all shrink dramatically at high water, and the cliffs behind them cut off escape routes. Never walk the scaur at Robin Hood's Bay or the Sandsend to Whitby sands on a rising tide, check a tide table for Whitby and turn back well before high water.
- Where can I park at Sandsend beach?
- There is pay-and-display parking along the seafront road at Sandsend and a second car park at the Whitby end near the old railway bridge. Both fill by mid-morning on warm weekends and in school holidays; arriving before 10am or after 4pm is the reliable strategy in summer.
- Are the beaches sandy or pebbly?
- Sandsend, Whitby and Saltburn are proper sand at all but the highest tides. Runswick Bay is sand with rock at the edges. Robin Hood's Bay is a rocky scaur with patches of sand, brilliant for rock pooling and fossils, poor for a beach towel.
- Can you swim in the sea in North Yorkshire?
- People swim all summer at Sandsend, Whitby, Saltburn and Runswick Bay, and the sea is at its warmest in August and September. There are no lifeguards on most of this coast outside peak season, currents run strongly around the harbour mouths and river outfalls, and the water is cold year-round. Swim near others, stay within your depth if unsure and avoid the harbour entrances entirely.